Corey Kluber had little desire to reflect on the bitter end of the Indians' premature exit from the postseason.

He did his best to tiptoe around the necessary responses tied to winning his second career Cy Young Award, taking home the well-deserved honor Wednesday night. But you can't completely avoid those tough questions — even in a setting typically reserved for smiles and celebration.

“Whether I would've finished first, second, third — whatever it be — 2017 is in the past,” Kluber said. “I'm looking forward to 2018. I've been back in the gym for a while now. I think that my full focus is on trying to put myself in a position to try to help the Tribe win a World Series.”

And no one doubts his efforts to accomplish that goal. If he falls short, it won't be due to a lack of trying.

Regardless, no one should criticize my colleague Zack Meisel or the 27 other BBWAA members who offered up a first-place vote to Kluber. No pitcher was more deserving of the award in the AL. Not Chris Sale. Not Luis Severino. Not teammate and fourth-place finisher Carlos Carrasco.

Kluber's steady chase and passing of Sale — despite missing a month due to injury — was one of the most intriguing storylines of a memorable year. And in the final four months of the regular season, there was no starter in baseball better than the Tribe ace.

It was present during Kluber's conference call with the media and it will remain in place for a while. It emerged after two poor starts by the righty in the ALDS against the Yankees. Whether those uncharacteristic outings were tied to back health, a drifting release point or something we have yet to discover, those pair of performances were at the crux of several poorly timed issues in the playoffs.

As a result, all of the above continue to force us to speculate, debate and wonder what went wrong — even in the midst of Kluber earning an award that few will argue against him deserving. It's the answerless void that creates a lack of closure on an otherwise remarkable campaign. It's the one blemish that can't be removed. The one itch that can't be scratched.

Unfair? A bit, yes.

It would be beneficial to compartmentalize the playoff failures and separate them from the historical significance of Kluber's unmatched production or the club's AL record 22-game win streak.

Focusing on the negative without appreciating the unforgettable dominance by one of the franchise's best all-time hurlers over a mind-boggling 23-start stretch is doing him — and yourself — a disservice.

But there is no alternate ending to the Tribe's World Series encore. Their blown lead and loss to the Yankees — and Kluber's two atypical starts — were just as real as the righty's tantalizing assault on opposing batters in 2017. One doesn't exist without the other. And the presence of the negative makes it somewhat difficult to fully admire the full greatness of Kluber's dominion over the American League.

That stinks. It really stinks. It's also unavoidable.

“It was unfortunate that we weren't able to win that series,” Kluber said. “All we can do is look forward to next year and try to have a better finish.”

Kluber's desire to look ahead speaks to his respect for the honor but also confirms he'd trade all the accolades and recognition for another shot at their ultimate goal. It's his clear and unwavering priorities that help make him an easy guy to bet on.

T.J. Zuppe covers the Indians for The Athletic Cleveland. Previously, he served as the Indians beat writer for 92.3 The Fan WKRK-FM and still appears as an on-air personality and contributor at CBS Cleveland. Follow T.J. on Twitter @TJZuppe.